Now, I don't mean to get your hopes up for the eventual downturn in your mood. After all, the Vegas Golden Knights are facing another playoff-position team on Tuesday in arguably the worst March ever. However, I like to be a beacon of optimism.
The Golden Knights are breaking in the new parts into their team and have some protection in front of the net. You always need that during the nighttime, you know. There's also a slew of players returning to the fold, namely Brett Howden. Mark Stone isn't far behind in the festivities, possibly preparing to reunite with his top-line buddy, Jack Eichel.
Let's make sure he doesn't break a hip this time, eh?
I know that sounds like a lot for a team playing the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. They're on the road and the Golden Knights have been absolutely abysmal against teams in the Stars' position this season. Like, they only have six wins against such clubs, which is absolutely alarming.
But what if I told you that the team that supposedly looks flawless might actually have... flaws? Everyone looks at the Stars and thinks that they're on a one-way ticket to the Stanley Cup Final. However, one simple strength could propel the Golden Knights to a surprising victory.
The Vegas Golden Knights must tap into their third period energy to beat the Dallas Stars
The Golden Knights have been one of the NHL's best third-period teams this season. One such example came last week against the Detroit Red Wings. Let me set the scene for you.
Vegas has a 1% chance of winning this game since they're down 3-1. However, they consistently attacked the offensive zone and notched two goals in the third period. Then, Tomas Hertl gets the game-winner and beats (!) a playoff-position team.
Ironically, that was a similar story for Vegas on January 29, with the only difference being the team losing to the Stars in a shootout. Still, scoring three unanswered goals in the third period led the team to a loser point.
The objective? Don't let the goals come pouring in after you allow one. That has been the M.O. for the Golden Knights this season as they've let one or two goals in after allowing the first goal (see Friday's game against the Minnesota Wild).
The Golden Knights depth scoring must find its magic touch again
The past six games have seen an alarming trend for the Golden Knights. They've scored a total of 12 goals in their last six games, steering away from their momentum upon returning from the Olympic break against the Los Angeles Kings. In that span, they've gone 1-5-0, signaling trouble in paradise.
Granted, everyone was shaking off the rust from the break and trying to find their bearings. However, it's been a couple of weeks since the NHL resumed play. Who should the Golden Knights want to explode against the Stars?
One name that stands out is Jack Eichel. The gold medalist got off the snide on Sunday, scoring a shorthanded goal against the Edmonton Oilers. Watch for him to try his hand at scoring again on Tuesday against a better defensive team in Dallas.
Who knows? He might be the sparkplug that gets Vegas going. Players like Ivan Barbashev and Reilly Smith can feed off that energy and score some goals. That would be as big as Texas itself.